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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: present · rest · field · pop · branch · bank · rash · deal

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. bank — of a river
  3. rash — hasty
  4. rest — what's left
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. field — for sport
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. deal — to handle
  9. pop — to visit
  10. rest — a break
  11. pop — soda
  12. pop — music
  13. bank — for money
  14. branch — a division
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. present — the time now
  17. present — a gift
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. field — a subject
  20. rash — a series
  21. bank — for money
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. rest — what's left
  24. present — there

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com